Coffee Talk Mom

The Lost Art of the Christmas Card

Before we talk cards of 2015, I thought you would find this short history interesting:

"At Christmastime, many people would send letters to friends and family far away, and children at boarding school would decorate paper and write letters to show off the writing skills they'd improved upon that term at school. However, the first official Christmas card was created in 1843 in Britain.

Sir Henry Cole, director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, would write letters to family and acquaintances at Christmastime. He and others could buy decorative paper on which to pen greetings and good wishes, but he found it to be a cumbersome task. So Cole commissioned an artist friend, John Calcott Horsley to create a card with a simple message that could be duplicated and sent to all his acquaintances. Horsley lithographed and hand-colored 1,000 copies of this first commercial card. It was a three-panel card – the center panel showed a family celebrating and the two wing panels depicted people feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. The card bore the simple greeting, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You," which would become the standard sentiment of the mass-produced Christmas cards."

 

It is amazing to me the time and energy it would take to write individual cards and duplicate the sentiments to all of your friends in the 1800's. We have it easy now…maybe too easy. With the popularity of social media, we have taken away the "surprise factor" of the card. If you have a friend on Facebook, chances are, you have seen all of their amazing photos of the year, the families, the highs and lows (ER visits, baseball games, recipes, etc…). A couple of years ago I made the "rookie" mistake (haha) of ordering the new fancy square cards. The look on my face when I opened them and realized they would need more postage was priceless. As a child, my mom would make our family of 6 sit down at our round table, pick a pen, and sign our name on every card. Now looking back, I think it was grounds for a child cruelty lawsuit. (I'm kidding, Mom!) However you feel about cards… ("REALLY? I have to think of something "cute" to say?) , they are SO fun to receive, and, although I have cut way back this year, I hope the tradition continues through the ages.

So here are a few tips for your holiday cards:

1. Don't panic! I get them out early to cross that off my list, but a New Year's card works too! One year I even got a "Happy Valentine's Card" from one of my best friends.
2. If you order more than 100, think about who you are sending them to and cut back. With postage and card costs, you could make a sweet donation to a food bank!
3. Order the standard size (see above)!
4. Invest in a stamp for your return address. It looks pretty and lasts for years! They are usually priced between $20-$30.
5. If you write a letter, don't just list activities…do a Top 10, or add some hilarity. I have a couple of SWEET friends who can write and I find myself in hysterics every year.
6. Don't just throw them in a basket…use my method. Buy a roll of your favorite wired ribbon at CostCo ($8)…Tie one end into a large bow and staple it to your wall (If you make several, hang them at various heights). Staple cards onto the other flowing part of the ribbon at different angles (It's too hard to line them up perfectly) and every day you can enjoy the photos of your friends! (SEE photo above)
7. If you are you and have lots of creative energy…(for the 3 of you)…cut down the cards in January and put them into a photo album. You can see every year how much the kids and families change. I did this for years and only last year decided it was time to stop.
8. LAST…have fun…there are SO many options and no professional photo is necessary!

    

    

   YOU CAN DO IT!

    

   Coffeetalkmom

    

    

    

 

 

 

Small Victories

If there is one thing I have learned as a wife and mom...everyone has their own journey.  I remember years ago telling a friend, "My victories are different".  My boy catching the ball on the last play of the game and running for the end-zone was not one of the victories.  Don't get me wrong, that is exactly what I had in mind when I became a parent of two boys.  If we are honest with ourselves, we have dreams for our lives and our kids (if you have children) and there is nothing wrong with that.  If you are around my age, you may remember our kids "all getting trophies" regardless of the season results. One word: UGH! My boys felt NO pride in that. Smaller victories, not playing in front of parents and the cheering crowd, became much more meaningful. For myself, my dreams and hopes were based on my own life: parents that are still married, kids, happiness...you know, the usual!  What I have learned is that everyone has different victories.  All are worthy of celebration.  

 

I have heard friends and family the past several months. Here are some victories that may surprise you.

 

He made it through a whole day of school without disrupting class.

She didn't drink at the party last weekend and was the designated driver.

He's alive and I'm at Cost Co picking up his 18th birthday cake.

He turned in enough homework to pass math.

She doesn't need surgery after all...or a transplant.

She remembered my name today.  

There was enough money in the account to cover the cost.

He didn't sound lonely on the phone.

He got the job.

I made it through another holiday without him.

 

The thing about comparison is that it is a sure way to feel small...take the victories in your life and celebrate.  Work toward more victories in your life, then take time to thank God for those things that bring joy.  We are not here on this earth to dwell on our unhappiness, the unrest in the world, insecurities and pain.  Take a moment today and celebrate a small victory!

 

Touchdown!

 

CoffeeTalkMom